BaccalaureatePublic

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts·Public, 4-year or above·New England·mcla.edu
6-yr Graduation
56%
-5.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
896
peer median 1,151
Avg net price
$18,707
+$2.4k vs Baccalaureate
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
1,208
1,208 candidates competed
Admitted
1,084
89.7% acceptance rate
Enrolled
125
11.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
56%-5.0pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
46%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
56%
Full-time retention
76%

Pell equity

25.0pp gap
Pell recipients
45%
Non-Pell
70%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 25.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 39 Title IV programs, 9 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 30 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
39
Passing
9
23.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

39programs
  • Passing9 · 23.1%
  • No Data30 · 76.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
2
Safe
5
No data
30

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

9
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+1.3%
$39,955 vs $39,449
Arts Entertainment and Media Management
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+9.0%
$42,983 vs $39,449
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+11.9%
$44,136 vs $39,449
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Other
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
+19.6%
$47,162 vs $39,449
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+26.3%
$49,826 vs $39,449
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
+30.8%
$60,664 vs $46,391
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+33.9%
$52,808 vs $39,449
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+36.3%
$53,753 vs $39,449

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+1.3%
+$506

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

7
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
58%
$25,750 debt · $44,136 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
58%
$23,250 debt · $39,955 earn
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Other
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
49%
$22,875 debt · $47,162 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
47%
$23,149 debt · $49,826 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
43%
$23,354 debt · $53,753 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
40%
$20,940 debt · $52,808 earn
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
26%
$15,594 debt · $60,664 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1953Next review Jun 2034

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 5

  1. Feb 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  2. Apr 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education
  3. May 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  4. Jun 2019Grant Substantive Change: Ownership
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  5. Mar 2014Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$14,440
$30–48k$16,990
$48–75k$15,698
$75–110k$19,147
$110k+$23,800

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$18,707
+$2,359vs Baccalaureate median $16,349
Federal loans
60.5%
In-state tuition
$11,884
Out-of-state
$20,559

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 363 students received $2.0M in Pell grants, alongside $4.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
363
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$2.0M
$2,015,119 total
Direct Loans
$4.1M
885 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
0k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.4M
356 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.6M
438 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$399K
33 loan awards
Parent PLUS$743K
58 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 500 borrowers who entered repayment, 15 (3.0%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.0%
+0.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
500
Defaulted
15
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
7.1%
2017
6.4%
2018
3.4%
2019
3.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at MCLA

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs25
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

167 total completions
01Business
2313.8%
02Education
2213.2%
03Health Professions
1911.4%
04Visual/Performing Arts
1911.4%
05Social Sciences
1810.8%
06Multi/Interdisciplinary
1810.8%
07Psychology
1710.2%
08Biological Sciences
116.6%
09English Language
106.0%
10Computer Sciences
106.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
896
12-mo unduplicated
1,292
Undergraduate
1,095
Graduate
197

Gender split

Men
42%539
Women
58%753

Race / ethnicity composition

White
71.7%
Hispanic
9.8%
Black
8.6%
Two or more
3.9%
Unknown
2.9%
Asian
1.7%
Non-resident
1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
157
102 M · 55 W
Women athletes
35.0%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$1.9M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$11K
$16K
Head-coach salaries
$25K
$27K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Soccer
33 M · 23 W
$151K
Ice Hockey
25 M · 19 W
$288K
Basketball
19 M · 13 W
$130K
Baseball
32 M ·
$120K
Cross Country
9 M · 11 W
$33K
Lacrosse
20 M ·
$71K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
3.20
3 offenses · 938 students

3-year trend

3.332 yrs ago5.031 yr ago3.20Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
12
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
13
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
6
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
2
Fondling
1

By location

3total
  • On campus3

Includes 3 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

3
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
4
Stalking
7 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Sexual orientation1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs02
Liquor022

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
8.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
78

MCLA vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions MCLA selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectMassachusetts College of Liberal Arts
56%896$18,707Baccalaureate
University of New Hampshire at Manchester
59%80.9%663$13,302Baccalaureate
Charter Oak State College
100%2,012$15,663Baccalaureate
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg
40%95.2%1,321$17,034Baccalaureate
University of Minnesota-Morris
63%74.9%981$9,110Baccalaureate
Virginia Military Institute
76%71.2%1,527$18,849Baccalaureate
Peer group median61%77.9%1,151$16,349

Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about MCLA.

What is the graduation rate at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts?

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts reports a 6-year graduation rate of 56% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts?

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts reports a total enrollment of 896 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts?

The average net price at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is $18,707 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts?

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts's yield rate is 11.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts located?

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is located in North Adams, Massachusetts 01247-4100.

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